There are very few houses that make viewers decide to buy the minute they step inside. But that was the effect of The Quell, an extraordinary steel-and-glass home built on an escarpment overlooking the Sussex Weald. “We walked in and were completely blown away by the views,” says Hugh Goldsmith, who bought the house with his wife, Carrie, in 2002. “You can see for 30 miles across to the South Downs. We said, ‘We’ll take it.’ ”

The Quell, near Haslemere in Surrey, was designed and built 30 years ago by renowned architect Michael Manser, who was president of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) from 1983-85. Remarkable at the time for its experimental design, the house still looks pretty innovative today. Its floor-to-ceiling glazing, open-plan living and indoor-outdoor entertaining space are exactly what the 21st-century family wants

Now the Goldsmiths' children are older, they are ready to move on, though not without a few pangs of regret. They hope whoever buys it will enjoy it as much as they have. “I still feel the same about this house as when we first walked in,” says Goldsmith. “It just makes you feel good.”

The Quell is for sale for £3.95m through Strutt & Parker and Knight Frank.